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Nissan is making enthusiasts drool with a new NISMO off-road truck that packs a punch. It answers the question: What happens if you take a 400-horsepower V8 engine from a full-sized truck, and stuff it in a midsize? Well, you get the NISMO Off Road Frontier V8 concept truck that Nissan is showing off at the SEMA show this week.

Concept trucks like this Frontier almost never see production, but the accessories that the company is showing off, like the no-drill roof rack, will likely see production. We say, “Bring em on.”

Will Nissan ever build this truck?

The NISMO Off-Road concept truck packs the 400-horsepower v8 from the Titan into a wide body kit.
Nissan NISMO Off-Road concept truck | Nissan

Of course show trucks like this never get built. Right? Well, sort of. The RAM TRX concept came from an auto show. So did the Bronco. But, then, so did the sad Plymouth Prowler and Chevy SSR, so it’s understandable that manufacturers are notoriously gun-shy when it comes to making vehicles that only grab headlines.

The truck also has a wide-track suspension created with lower control arms, front spindles, wheel hubs and rear axle from a Titan. The suspension also features custom upper control arms and NISMO/Bilstein coilover shocks and a custom rear leaf spring pack with NISMO/Bilstein external reservoir shocks for increased ride height and payload capacity. The Frontier concept gets a custom wide body kit with carbon fiber front fenders, hood and bedsides, plus a prototype NISMO Off Road front bumper that improves the truck’s approach angle and tire clearance.

If we had a Magic 8-Ball to ask, “Will Nissan build this wonder truck?” It would probably say, “Signs point to no.” But, we would love to get behind the wheel of a midsize truck that packs Titan truck power, which is more than any standard midsize truck we can think of. Even the Ranger Raptor only makes 274 horsepower, according to Motor1, which did a dyno test.

What Nissan Frontier accessories can we expect to see soon?

2023 Nissan NISMO truck roof rack
The no-drill roof-rack from NISMO | Nissan

Nissan, please bring us the no-drill roof rack. The NISMO truck has a custom roof rack that looks good, especially with lights, that also adds some functionality. It would look good on a Pro-4x Frontier. But, since Nissan calls it the no drill roof rack, we can assume that it bolts into the channels on the roof instead, which keeps the truck weather tight.

Fans of pre-runner trucks would love to get the in-bed spare wheel and tire carriers, as well as the wide body kit. The NISMO Off Road Axis rims would be nice to see for the Frontier, but they are only available for the Titan and Armada today.

Does this truck mean we’ll see some more off-road goodies from Nissan?

NISMO off road truck wheel that is bronze
The NISMO Off-Road concept | Nissan

Like we said, it’s highly unlikely that we would ever see a truck this bonkers from Nissan to show up at your local dealer. Nissan does say in its news release about the truck, “the concept shows off a range of new NISMO Off Road accessory parts that will be available from Nissan dealerships soon, as well as some prototype NISMO Off Road parts that may be available in the future.”

While we probably won’t be able to build this truck, it does show that Nissan is committed to the 2023 Frontier and to making accessories for the truck. The rack and the spare tire carriers should be easy enough to make. Whether we’ll get the sophisticated new suspension or the cat-back exhaust remains to be seen.

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Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.